


He Sleeps Well

by GlitteringKitten



Category: No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-28
Updated: 2013-04-28
Packaged: 2017-12-09 20:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/777882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitteringKitten/pseuds/GlitteringKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One phone call can make or break your day. Nezumi expects the call, but Shion doesn't know what to expect as a reaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Sleeps Well

**Author's Note:**

> This is only a short piece; set in a world after the end of the animé - where Nezumi and Shion are back together in once place, not seperate.

He put the phone back into the hanger on the wall, the soft click cutting off the static. One hand pressed against the wall, supporting him as the broken feeling invaded his cells. Breathing became shallow, eyes dripped moisture, but he wasn’t crying. No. Not over something so trivial. Not over that. He couldn’t be crying over that; he was stronger than that.

A hand on his shoulder shook him back out of his silence, turned him around to an inquisitive face.

“Who was it?”

“...” Silvery eyes stared at the ground, unable to meet the brightened ones opposite. The floor became his main focus; dirt, lint, fluff - everything but the reality of facing up to the conversation he just couldn’t have.

“It doesn’t matter.” The words came quietly, and explained nothing. He stepped away from the wall, towards his jacket, hanging by the door. Sliding it over his shoulders, he hesitated. “I’ll be back.” The door shut behind him with a bang, leaving the light haired boy alone in the corridor; a glimpse of the tear stains on his lover’s face lingering in his mind. The phone beside him rang, breaking the silence.

“Has he left?”

“... What happened?” The softness of breathing down the phone was light, but sorrow echoed in each breath.

“It’s... Inukashi.” Words saying so much more than they ever needed, the tone belying how serious it was. “It’s time for that last song.”

“Oh...” Red eyes filled with tears, unashamed, so unlike his lover, he cried openly.

“It was bound to happen, all that dodgy food - feeding the dogs before -” A soft laugh, unhappy but at the same time full of amusement. “It was a matter of time; just a matter of time.”

“I know, but - after everything we did; it seems so unfair.” He paused, “I just wish it were...”

“Be strong, Shion.” The unspoken words, _he’ll need you now, more than ever, and he’ll push you away because of it_ , just made the white haired boy cry harder. He couldn’t make this better. Nothing he could do would help here; he knew that. It was a pain he just couldn’t avoid; couldn’t prevent. He whispered a farewell down the line and hung the phone up, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. The sound of the baby crying forced him to focus, knowing he could not show the child such sorrow so early on in life.

~~~

When Nezumi came home, it was long after midnight. When he stepped through the door, Shion was sitting on the floor, waiting for him, asleep with a cup beside him. Nezumi nudged him with his foot gently, frowning.

“Hey...”

“..’zumi?” His eyes widened when he realized that he’d fallen asleep, horror filling his face as he quickly attempted to get up. It appeared that his clumsiness led him to fall into the other boy; although Nezumi knew that was unlikely to be the case, catching him and holding him in his arms awkwardly. Shion took advantage of the moment to pull him into a tight hug, saying nothing. After a brief pause, Nezumi allowed himself to relax into the embrace, neither of them taking the chance to explain their actions. After a few minutes, Shion reached up and kissed Nezumi on the cheek, pushing a strand of stray hair from his eyes and whispering softly, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t bring anyone back.” Nezumi replied coldly, but the edge around his words was long gone from the months that had passed; and now all that remained was a slight bite that did nobody any harm. Shion nodded in agreement, and pulled himself from the embrace. Nezumi caught his hand before he turned to head away, and held it tightly, staring at their entwined fingers without blinking.

“After life’s fitful fever, he sleeps well.” Shion murmured, “nothing can touch him further.” A sad smile flickered across Nezumi’s face, before it tightened again into a familiar dismissal. His hand loosened around the white-haired man and he turned to hang up his jacket, dismissing the conversation for what it was.

“You missed part of that quote. Clearly you need to re-read it.” Shion gave a wry smile, recognizing that though the sorrow was not over - might never truly be over - Nezumi was still himself; and though it might be a while before they could discuss the matter fully, it would not something that would prevent their lives continuing.

**Author's Note:**

> The quote - for those who care and don't recognize it - was from Shakespeare's Macbeth. I felt it would be the sort of thing that Nezumi would recognize.


End file.
